Agric.tept.      Agric.Educ 


FVj'Y 

"•^j^LXv 


Newspaper  Writing 

in 

High  Schools 


Containing  an 
outline  for  the 
use  of  teachers. 


By 

L.  N.  FLINT 

Profeisor  of  Journalism  in  the  University  of  Kansas 


NOBLE  AND  NOBLE,  Publishers 

It  FIFTH  AVENUE  NEW  YORK  CITY 


Copyright  1917-1922 

by 
L.  N.  FLINT 


AGRIC.  DEPT. 


INTRODUCTORY 

Cut  and  dried  methods  in  teaching  a  subject  that 
has  had  a  place  in  educational  institutions  not  much 
longer  than  aviation  would  be  absurd.  If  anything 
in  this  pamphlet  seems  to  be  said  with  an  accent  of 
finality  the  reader  will  please  disregard  it. 

The  writer  has  the  temerity  to  offer  the  high  school 
teacher  this  outline  for  a  course  in  Newspaper  Writing 
only  because  of  his  having  had  several  years'  experi- 
ence with  English  teaching  in  high  schools  and  some 
ten  years  of  experimentation  in  teaching  Newspaper 
Writing  to  college  students  only  one  or  two  years  re- 
moved from  those  in  high  school  for  whom  the  course 
of  conducting  a  class  in  Newspaper  Writing — details 
both  as  to  matter  and  manner — all  of  us  are  still  in 
the  trying-out  period. 

L.  N.  F. 


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Newspaper  Writing  in 
High  Schools 

A  PLACE  FOR  NEWSPAPER  WRITING 

A  discussion  of  Newspaper  Writing  in  high  schools 
would,  a  few  years  ago,  have  had  to  deal  at  length 
with  the  reasons  for  such  a  course — excuses  rather 
than  reasons,  they  would  have  been  called  by  most 
school-men. 

But  today  the  place  of  Newspaper  Writing  in  the 
general  scheme  of  language  instruction  is  coming  to 
be  recognized.  By  no  means  all  who  were  suspicious 
of  the  "fad"  have  become  friendly,  but  most  of  them 
are  at  least  tolerant.  Best  of  all,  the  dislike  of  teach- 
ers of  English  composition  for  methods  that  were 
making  somewhat  vociferous  claims  of  being  "prac- 
tical" and  for  "writing"  that  was  associated  with  a 
word  having  such  connotations  of  haste  and  sloven- 
liness and  inaccuracy  as  "newspaper,"  has  softened 
into  something  quite  like  interest,  if  not  approval. 

Newspaper  Writing  is  winning  a  place  for  itself. 
That  it  must  still  work  hard  to  achieve  good  standing 
in  educational  circles  is  not  a  cause  for  complaint. 
Those  who  hold  any  field  are  quite  right  in  asking  to 
see  the  passports  of  newcomers.  Laboratory  methods 
in  composition  should  be  able  to  come  off  well  from 
the  most  searching  scrutiny  or  else  they  must  expect 
to  be  held  under  suspicion  while  further  evidence  is 


6         NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

being  produced.     But  they  ought,  of  course,  to  be 
given  a  fair  chance  to  bring  forward  the  evidence. 

Probably  the  true  reason  for  much  of  the  unwilling- 
ness to  recognize  Newspaper  Writing  as  a  standard 
English  course,  came  from  the  fear  that  such  attempts 
to  make  composition  interesting  were  turning  it  into 
mere  play;  and  it  cannot  be  denied  that  students 
busily  writing  for  their  newspaper  often  seem  to  be 
having  too  good  a  time  to  call  it  work — accepting 
somebody's  definition  of  work  as  something  we  do 
when  we  would  rather  be  doing  something  else.  But, 
more  and  more,  teachers  of  English  are  wishing  it 
were  true — even  if  some  of  them  cannot  quite  believe 
it  yet — that  students  could  learn  to  write  without 
being  unhappy  in  the  process. 

Indeed,  as  the  idea  gains  recognition  that  self- 
instruction  in  composition  is  the  best  instruction,  the 
companion  idea  that  self-instruction  waits  on  interest 
and  enjoyment  becomes  clear.  Methods — even  vaude- 
ville methods — that  supply  this  interest  incentive  may 
be  tolerated.  And  thus,  even  in  conservative  minds, 
the  methods  of  a  News  Writing  course — sensational 
as  they  may  seem  to  such  minds — establish  their  right 
to  a  trial. 

THE  PURPOSES  OF  THE  COURSE 

Two  main  benefits  from  a  course  in  Newspaper 
Writing  in  a  high  school  have  been  seen  in  schools 
where  the  course  has  been  given :  first,  to  the  students 
in  the  class ;  second,  to  the  school  as  a  whole  through 
improvements  in  the  high  school  paper. 

The  problem  of  the  paper  and  the  best  methods  of 
handling  it  will  be  considered  later 


THE  PURPOSES  OF  THE  COURSE  7 

As  regards  the  students  in  the  course,  the  purposes 
kept  in  mind  by  the  teacher  may  be  somewhat  as 
follows : 

First,  is  the  purpose  of  developing  in  the  student  a 
liking  for  composition,  and  increasing  his  ability  to 
write,  by  affording  him:  (1)  the  stimulus  of  print; 
(2)  something  about  which  to  write;  (3)  the  inspira- 
tion of  having  an  audience,  since  he  knows  that  his 
best  work  will  be  generally  read;  (4)  the  feeling  that 
what  he  writes  may  not  only  inform  but  influence  his 
readers;  (5)  the  realization  of  the  true  utility  of  rhet- 
orical forms  of  expression  as  he  begins  to  use  them 
now  not  merely  to  satisfy  an  instructor  but  to  pro- 
duce effects  on  his  public;  (6)  ability  for  self-criti- 
cism in  writing;  (7)  appreciation  of  the  value  of 
ideas;  (8)  resourcefulness  in  gathering  and  stating 
facts.  This  first  group  of  aims  has  to  do  with  the 
meaning  of  the  newspaper  to  the  student  as  a  writer. 

Second,  is  the  object  of  developing  the  student's 
power  of  observation;  his  understanding  of  the  diffi- 
culty but  necessity  of  accuracy;  his  apprehension  of 
the  raw  material  of  pathos  and  humor ;  his  impulse  to 
help  make  things  better ;  his  admiration  for  more  fin- 
ished forms  of  literature  than  journalism  affords.  All 
this  constitutes  the  value  of  newspaper  writing  to  the 
student  as  a  man  or  woman. 

Third,  is  the  aim  of  giving  the  student  an  under- 
standing of  the  newspaper  as  an  institution,  an  organ 
of  democracy;  of  acquainting  him  with  the  different 
kinds  of  newspapers;  of  showing  him  how  to  read 
newspapers ;  of  familiarizing  him  with  the  significant 
facts  in  the  history  of  journalism  in  their  bearing  on 


8        NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

the  growth  of  freedom  of  expression.  These  subjects 
form  the  beginning  of  that  knowledge  about  news- 
papers which  is  valuable  to  the  student  as  a  citizen. 
And  the  ultimate  reaction  of  such  education  in  the  im- 
provement of  public  taste  as  to  newspapers  may  well 
be  a  prime  tenet  in  the  faith  of  teachers  of  this  subject. 

THE  COURSE  NOT  PRIMARILY  VOCATIONAL 

The  course  is  not  to  be  established  with  vocational 
purposes  primarily  in  mind — direct  vocational  aims, 
at  least.  It  has  become  sufficiently  plain  that  the  suc- 
cess of  such  a  course  depends  much  on  a  full  recog- 
nition and  acceptance  of  this  limitation. 

Journalism  is  a  profession.  Adequate  preparation 
for  it  is  a  serious  matter  of  years,  as  is  preparation  for 
other  professions.  It  would  be  most  unfortunate 
from  all  points  of  view  if  young  people  in  high  schools 
were  encouraged  or  permitted  to  think  that  a  course 
in  Newspaper  Writing  is  a  course  in  journalism.  So 
clearly  is  this  fact  recognized  that  in  one  state  at 
least,  with  a  highly  developed  school  system,  the  name, 
"journalism" — as  also  "law"  and  "medicine" — is  not 
permitted  as  a  title  of  a  high  school  course.  It  is  en- 
tirely misleading  and  most  unfortunate  when  so  used. 

For  the  sake  of  the  interest  incentive,  it  is  well  that 
the  conditions  of  actual  newspaper  work  be  repro- 
duced as  closely  as  possible  for  the  class  in  Newspaper 
Writing.  It  is  thrilling  to  the  student  to  think  that 
he  is  doing  the  same  sort  of  thing  for  which  the  world 
pays  liberally.  And  the  course  will  inevitably  have 
influence  in  vocational  directions.  But  the  wise 
teacher  will  never  forget  that  it  is  fundamentally  a 


PREPARATION  OF  THE  TEACHER  9 

course  in  composition — that  it  should  be  the  best  pos- 
sible course  in  composition — and  that  this  is  its  rea- 
son for  existence. 

The  name  "Newspaper  Writing" — corresponding  to 
the  term,  "magazine  writing" — is  to  be  preferred  to 
the  narrower,  "News  Writing,"  because  it  is  desirable 
that  the  writing  of  feature  stories,  human  interest 
stories,  and  editorials  be  included  in  the  course  and 
covered  by  the  name. 

PKEPAKATION  OF  THE  TEACHER 

Books  on  Newspaper  Writing  have  appeared  in  con- 
siderable numbers  during  the  past  few  years.  The 
high  school  teacher  who  wishes  to  take  charge  of  a 
class  in  this  subject,  but  who  has  had  no  training  in 
newspaper  work,  can  acquire  from  such  books  a 
knowledge  of  essential  facts.  Acquaintance  with 
newspaper  men  will  be  of  great  help.  Little  journeys 
to  newspaper  offices  will  reveal  not  only  how  things 
are  done  but  the  spirit  in  which  they  are  done.  And 
the  teacher  needs  to  breathe  deeply  of  this  atmosphere. 
Most  important  of  all  is  close  and  understanding 
friendship  for  the  newspapers  themselves,  growing 
out  of  careful  reading,  analysis,  comparison,  histori- 
cal study,  and  appreciative  criticism. 

From  such  experience  comes  confidence — sureness 
of  touch — that  wins  respect  from  students,  resource- 
fulness that  enables  the  teacher  to  maintain  interest 
at  white  heat,  and  appreciation  of  the  conditions 
under  which  newspapers  are  made  that  helps  the 
teacher  to  avoid  giving  students  false  impressions 
and  ideals. 


10       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

If  this  practical  experience  can  be  gained  in  a 
school  or  department  of  journalism  where  not  merely 
one  method  of  doing  things  is  practised  but  where  all 
methods  are  tried  and  compared;  where  it  is  some- 
body's business  to  give  helpful  criticism  at  every  stop ; 
and  where  the  broader  aspects  of  newspaper  practices 
and  their  interrelations  are  considered,  so  much  the 
better. 

But  special  preparation,  through  some  means,  the 
teacher  must  have.  In  the  interests  of  the  students 
for  whose  advantage  this  work  is  being  introduced 
into  the  schools,  it  should  never  be  assumed  that 
whichever  member  of  the  faculty  happens  to  have  a 
vacant  period  is  thereby  properly  ordained  to  teach 
Newspaper  Writing. 

AS  TO  USING  A  TEXT 

The  best  results — the  right  results — are  most  likely 
to  be  attained  when  only  the  newspapers  themselves 
are  used  as  texts. 

It  cannot  be  too  often  reiterated  that  the  charac- 
teristic feature  of  the  course  in  Newspaper  Writing  is 
its  interest  incentive  associated  with  the  fact  of  pub- 
lication. Therefore  the  newspaper  itself  should  al- 
ways hold  the  center  of  the  stage. 

Moreover,  there  is  a  great  advantage  in  having  the 
student  realize  at  the  start  a  sharp  distinction  be- 
tween the  course  in  Newspaper  Writing  and  all  other 
English  courses  he  may  have  had.  If  he  is  one  of 
those  who  early  developed  an  unfortunate  dislike  for 
composition,  or  if  he  is  one  who  has  settled  in  his  own 
mind  that  he  never  can  write,  this  shock  of  beholding 


As  TO  USING  A  TEXT  H 

composition  from  a  new  angle  is  especially  salutary. 
And  it  is  well  if  the  entire  class  can  be  impressed  with 
the  refreshing  notion  that  "here  is  something  differ- 
ent." Curiosity  is  not  to  be  despised,  nor  the  spirit  of 
adventure,  when  it  may  contribute  to  the  end  sought 
— that  more  or  less  clumsy  handlers  of  the  marvelous 
tools  of  language  may  teach  themselves  to  do  with 
skill  the  things  they  seek  to  do.  The  teacher  may  well 
face  his  class  with  only  a  newspaper  in  his  hand  and 
only  a  newspaper  on  his  desk. 

For  examples  of  newspaper  stories,  however,  re- 
course may  be  had  to  the  two  books  of  typical  stories 
mentioned  hereafter  in  the  book  list.  The  question 
as  to  how  much  time  to  devote  to  assigned  readings  in 
various  books  on  the  newspaper  is  also  touched  upon 
in  that  section. 

Classics  May  be  Read. 

Classics  are  often  read  in  connection  with  the 
course.  It  is  difficult  to  see  how  time  can  be  found 
for  them  if  the  varied  opportunities  for  filling  out  the 
course  with  newspaper  subjects  are  embraced.  But 
certainly  there  is  no  incongruity  in  the  introduction 
of  classics.  Indeed  a  reading  course  might  be  planned 
which  would  maintain  close  and  instructive  associa- 
tion with  Newspaper  Writing  through  the  fact  that 
the  authors  were  journalists. 

A  Place  for  Current  Events. 

Current  events,  if  not  elsewhere  placed  in  the  course 
of  study,  may  appropriately  receive  attention  in  the 
class  in  Newspaper  Writing.  In  fact  they  are  bound 
to  receive  attention  there  anyhow.  But  systematic 


12       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

"bookkeeping  the  news"  involves  considerable  expen- 
diture of  time. 

No  Room  for  Oral  English. 

Oral  English,  sometimes  dumped  into  the  news- 
paper course,  seems  out  of  place  there.  At  least  the 
name  seems  out  of  place.  Every  reporter  needs  such 
training — and  gets  it  every  time  he  dictates  a  story 
into  a  telephone  or,  as  a  class  exercise,  is  required  to 
dictate  to  an  imaginary  transmitter — but  this  is  to  be 
regarded  as  a  part  of  the  training  in  newspaper 
writing  rather  than  as  "Oral  English." 

Fees,  to  Pay  for  Papers. 

To  cover  the  cost  of  newspapers  and  periodicals,  or 
to  buy  books  for  the  library,  a  fee  of  fifty  cents  each 
term  will  need  to  be  required  of  each  student.  In  fact, 
considering  that  there  is  no  expenditure  for  texts, 
the  fee  may  reasonably  be  one  dollar. 

EQUIPMENT 

Typewriters  are  the  most  important  pieces  of 
equipment  for  the  newsroom — and  the  class-room 
should,  so  far  as  practicable,  have  the  aspect  of  a 
newsroom.  But  the  difficulties  in  providing  such 
equipment  are  usually  serious.  Often  they  are  insur- 
mountable: no  money  for  typewriters;  no  room  for 
them ;  no  time  except  evening  when  they  can  be  used. 
Nevertheless,  typewriters  are  almost  indispensable, 
contributing  as  they  may  to  the  one  great  end,  perfect 
copy.  Students  may  well  be  encouraged  to  buy  them 
or  to  rent  them,  individually  or  in  clubs. 


EQUIPMENT 


13 


Top  if  $  fueel  together. 
sten**    tvifh    SO  JtAre/ 
c  tumps  t  from  be  lev. 
(train  of  boar4»  i*  top 
fo  be  at  fisfit  a  note  3 
to  the   centre  /me. 

V 

Height  w*r  all     eft- 
Screw*   ore   vaett  To 


wher«    firm*    ft*  Us  *re  >«J« 


Plans  and  Specifications  for  the  Type  of  Copy  Desk  Found  in 
Many  Newspaper  Offices. 


14       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

A  news  or  copy  desk  is  a  desirable  piece  of  equip- 
ment. It  has  the  maximum  utility  besides  doing  much 
towards  creating  a  newspaper  atmosphere  in  the  room. 
A  prevailing  style  of  desk  is  shown  in  the  illustration. 

Wire  baskets  for  news  copy,  "time"  copy,  and  edited 
copy,  are  necessary. 


10  Point 
Century 
Bold  ' 

10  Point 
Century 
Bold 


3 


TREES  NEED   NEW  BANDS 

Canker  Worms  Crawling  Over 
Dry  Tanglefoot 


21  Units 


6  Words 


8  Point 
Century 
Bold 


STRENGTH  OF  LIBRARY  IS  22  Unite 

STRENGTH  OF  UNIVERSITY          22  Units 


(Not  to  be  used  on  stories  of  more  than  one  paragraph) 
8  Point 


Century 
Bold 


Board  Is  In  Session  Today  27  Units 


Schedule  of  News  Heads  for  a  High  School  Paper. 


A  schedule  of  heads  used  in  the  paper  should  be 
posted  conveniently.  News-schedule  cards  and  news- 
paper style-books  should  be  on  the  desk. 

The  need  of  a  telephone  will  vary  with  conditions; 
but  a  telephone  directory  and  a  city  directory  are  sure 
to  be  of  use. 


FORMING  NEWSPAPER  ACQUAINTANCES         15 

Such  other  desirable  equipment  as  maps,  a  globe, 
pencil  sharpeners,  paper  files,  and  a  calendar,  suggest 
themselves. 

A  special  table  or  case  for  high  school  exchanges 
keeps  these  valuable  contemporaries  in  the  right  place. 


NEWS  SCHEDULE 


•MOT 

•  BAD 

»LVO 

MPOMTU 

DVB 

Ruling  Suitable  for  a  News  Schedule  Sheet  Enabling  the  News 
Editor  to  Keep  a  Check  on  the  More  Important  Stories. 

On  the  walls  may  be  hung  portraits  of  famous  jour- 
nalists and  framed  copies  of  interesting  old  papers. 
Every  community  will  respond  to  a  call  for  such 
material. 

A  letter  file  in  which  clippings,  properly  mounted 
and  systematically  arranged  may  be  preserved  is  in- 
valuable. Such  a  "morgue"  will  grow  in  value  to  the 
class  and  to  the  teacher.  It  may  also  serve  as  a  stim- 
ulus to  good  writing,  for  there  is  great  glory  in  writ- 
ing an  article  good  enough  to  be  preserved  in  the 
"morgue"  for  the  benefit  of  future  "generations." 

FORMING  NEWSPAPER  ACQUAINTANCES 
Some  day  early  in  the  term  the  teacher  will  show 


16       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

the  class  a  copy  of  let  us  say,  the  Chicago  News  and 
talk  about  it  somewhat  as  follows :  "Let  me  introduce 
to  you  a  powerful  newspaper  personality,  the  Chicago 
News.  As  when  you  are  introduced  to  a  flesh-and- 
blood  individual,  you  first  get  a  general  impression 
from  the  face.  Here  is  a  clean,  open  newspaper  counte- 
nance, fairly  regular  as  to  features,  having  a  healthy 
complexion,  good  color,  and  no  offensive  distortion  of 
features. 

"At  first  glance  you  say  that  here  is  a  personality 
both  dignified  and  intelligent,  probably  trustworthy, 
not  too  insistent  on  its  own  views,  inviting  closer 
acquaintance.  As  your  glance  wanders,  you  observe 
that  this  newspaper  individual  is  dressed  in  good 
taste,  collar  clean,  necktie  on  straight,  shoes  polished, 
hose  not  too  loud. 

"As  when  we  are  making  the  acquaintance  of  a 
flesh-and-blood  individual,  our  second  set  of  impres- 
sions comes  from  things  said  and  the  manner  of 
speaking.  This  newspaper  doesn't  shout  at  you,  nor 
make  violent  gestures,  nor  assume  a  tragic  air,  nor 
'tip  you  a  wink'  with  a  suggestion  of  a  good  scandal 
story  coming.  It  seems  to  appreciate  that  you  want 
information,  and  at  once  proceeds  to  give  it  to  you. 

"Ten  minutes  with  any  human  being  ought  to  reveal 
approximately  how  interesting  he  is  likely  to  prove. 
Ten  minutes  with  any  newspaper  personality  will  do 
the  same.  Is  it  shallow,  thin,  or  thoroughgoing?  Is 
it  interested  only  in  the  present  moment — keen  but 
gossipy — or  is  it  aware  of  the  past  and  the  future — 
trying  to  get  the  present  into  perspective?  Is  it  heavy 
or  snappy  in  its  expression  of  opinion?  Is  it  well 


REPRESENTATIVE  PAPERS  FOR  CLASS  STUDY     17 

stored  with  interesting  matter  beyond  mere  facts  and 
opinions? 

"A  longer  acquaintance  with  a  newspaper  personal- 
ity, as  with  a  human  being,  will  be  necessary  to  demon- 
strate whether  it  is  consistent  in  its  purposes,  clean 
and  honest  in  business  matters,  independent,  humane, 
courageous." 

All  this  is  merely  suggestive  of  a  manner  of  ap- 
proach. The  important  thing  is  that  the  approach 
be  made  in  such  a  way  as  to  lend  direction  to  the 
students'  efforts  in  working  at  a  difficult  problem. 

During  the  year,  students  in  the  class  should  become 
well  acquainted  with  six  or  eight  important  news- 
papers representing  the  most  common  types.  To 
attempt  more  than  this  is  to  invite  confusion  in  the 
mind  of  beginners.  To  attempt  less  is  to  neglect  an 
invaluable  stimulus  to  the  interest  of  students  in  their 
work;  their  understanding  of  it;  their  respect  for  it. 

Moreover,  this  searching  acquaintance  with  news- 
papers, and  the  consequent  critical  attitude  towards 
them,  works  in  the  direction  of  that  hoped-for  by- 
product of  such  courses  in  schools  and  colleges,  a 
demand  for  better  papers. 

REPRESENTATIVE  PAPERS  FOR 
CLASS  STUDY 

It  is  difficult  to  pick  out  from  among  the  news- 
papers in  the  United  States  six  or  eight  to  be  recom- 
mended as  the  best  for  purposes  of  study.  Let  it  be 
taken  for  granted  that  the  leading  state  papers  will  be 
accessible  to  members  of  the  class.  For  the  rest — the 
representatives  of  the  metropolitan  press — satisfac- 


18       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

tory  selection  might  be  made  from  the  following  list, 
choosing  one,  at  least,  from  each  of  the  four  groups  and 
paying  some  attention  to  geographical  distribution. 

Help  in  augmenting  the  newspaper  list  may  some- 
times be  obtained  from  other  departments  in  which  the 
use  of  newspapers  is  particularly  desirable.  Every 
teacher  of  civics  knows  how  much  the  study  of  this 
subject  is  enlivened  by  a  daily  search  of  the  news- 
papers for  instance  of  civil  government  in  actual 
operation.  The  study  of  history  takes  on  new  meaning 
when  the  students  learn  to  view  it  in  the  light  of  what 
he  is  observing  of  history  in  the  making.  Even  in  a 
course  in  modern  language  or  in  a  course  in  science, 
newspapers  will  be  of  considerable  use.  By  making 
geographical  charts  of  the  news  found  in  an  issue  of 
any  metropolitan  paper,  the  students'  knowledge  of 
geography  may  be  refreshed.  By  these  and  other 
means  newspapers  may  be  made  of  service  to  the 
school  as  a  whole,  and  the  school  as  a  whole  may  be 
willing  to  bear  a  part  of  their  cost. 

GEOUP  A 

New  York  Times.  Boston  Transcript. 

New  York  Evening  Post.  Philadelphia  Public  Ledger. 

New  York  Sun.  Chicago  News. 
Brooklyn  Eagle. 

GEOUP  B 

New  York  World.  Chicago  Tribune. 

New  York  Tribune.  Kansas  City  Star. 

Philadelphia  North  American.      Los  Angeles  Times. 


PROVIDING  OUTLETS  INTO  PRINT  19 

GROUP  C 

Springfield  Republican.  Portland  Oregonian. 

Columbia  State.  Indianapolis  News. 

Christian  Science  Monitor. 

GROUP  D 

New  York  Evening  Journal.         Atlanta  Georgian. 
Cleveland  Press.  Washington  Times. 

San  Francisco  Chronicle. 

The  class  will  be  keenly  interested  in  seeing  copies 
of  the  London  Times  or  other  foreign  newspapers  that 
may  come  to  hand. 

Toward  the  end  of  the  term,  when  a  more  intensive 
study  of  newspaper  types  may  be  undertaken,  it  will 
be  found  that  the  comparative  method  gives  best 
results.  Students  appreciate  newspaper  individuality 
quickly  by  the  aid  of  contrast  such  as  may  be  exempli- 
fied, for  example,  by  the  New  York  Evening  Post  and 
the  New  York  Evening  Journal  or  the  Boston  Tran- 
script and  the  Kansas  City  Star. 

PROVIDING  OUTLETS  INTO  PRINT 

The  definite  claims  that  are  made  as  to  the  value  of 
the  course  in  Newspaper  Writing  center  about  the 
fact  of  publication.  If  the  teacher  will  examine  the 
"psychology  of  print"  he  will  gain  a  cheering  realiza- 
tion of  the  subtle  but  potent  influence  of  this  aid  to  his 
work  of  teaching.  No  other  writing  incentive  ap- 
proaches it  in  vividness  for  young  minds.  It  puts  the 
flesh  and  color  of  reality  and  life  upon  the  often  for- 


20       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

bidding  skeleton  of  composition  work.  Its  stirring 
appeal  rouses  the  indifferent.  Eevision  of  written 
work  becomes  tolerable  to  the  student  when  print  is 
the  object.  The  necessity  for  perfection  of  form  can 
best  be  taught,  someone  has  aptly  said,  through  the 
"relentlessness  of  type." 

Every  available  avenue  into  print,  then,  should  be 
discovered  by  the  teacher  and  opened  to  the  use  of 
students. 


Best  of  Ally  the  High  School  Paper. 

A  high  school  paper,  as  large  as  conditions  permit 
and  published  as  frequently  as  possible  is,  of  course, 
the  most  valuable  outlet,  The  high  school  Annual 
may  prove  a  useful  medium.  The  local  papers  can 
almost  always  be  used  to  great  advantage. 

Use  May  be  Made  of  the  Local  Papers. 

Three  methods  of  employing  the  cooperation  of  the 
local  papers  have  been  successfully  used.  First,  the 
publication  by  the  local  paper  of  high  school  news, 
either  in  a  special  column  or  scattered  throughout  the 
paper  ;  second,  the  publication  of  a  high  school  paper 
within  the  local  paper,  as  shown  in  the  illustration  ; 
third,  the  issue  of  special  numbers,  written  entirely  by 
students. 

The  last  undertaking  is  sure  to  be  tremendously 
interesting  to  the  class,  but  from  the  standpoint  of 
the  publisher  is  hardly  judicious. 

The  high  school  paper  within  the  local  paper  has 
obvious  advantages  especially  when  the  high  school 
has  no  paper  of  its  own. 


PROVIDING  OUTLETS  INTO  PRINT 


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igh  School  Paper  Within  a  Local  Daily.     It  Occupies  About 
bird  of  the  Page  and  is  Newsy  and  Attractive  in  Make-up. 


22       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

The  daily  or  weekly  column  of  high  school  news  is 
preferable  to  the  plan  of  scattering  such  news  through- 
out the  paper,  and  is  most  useful  if  it  can  have  a 
characteristic  heading  and  a  regular  position. 

If  any  arrangements  can  be  made  to  afford  students 
an  opportunity  to  write  other  than  high  school  news 
in  the  offices  of  the  local  papers,  so  much  the  better. 

Correspondence  for  City  Papers. 

Opportunities  for  correspondence  for  outside  papers 
will  occasionally  be  discovered  and  should  always  be 
embraced. 

A  Modern  "Acta  Diurna"  Will  Help. 

Lacking  some  or  all  of  these  outlets  into  print,  the 
class  in  Newspaper  Writing  may  "publish"  a  "news- 
paper" on  a  large  bulletin  board  reserved  for  that  pur- 
pose. The  material  for  the  "paper"  may  be  written 
and  edited ;  the  make-up  of  the  different  pages  decided 
upon;  the  main  heads  "printed"  with  a  pencil  by 
someone  in  the  class  who  can  draw  letters;  and  the 
material  posted  on  the  board. 

Lest  the  teacher  should  hastily  conclude  that  this 
method  is  hardly  worth  a  trial,  it  can  be  said  that  one 
of  the  largest  schools  of  journalism  uses  it  exclusively 
with  good  results. 

BOOKS  FOE  BEADING  ASSIGNMENTS 

The  amount  of  reading  to  be  required  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  class  in  Newspaper  Writing  should  depend 
largely  on  two  conditions :  first,  if  the  teacher's  prep- 
aration for  handling  the  subject  is  slight,  he  will 
naturally  rely  considerably  on  books  to  which  his 


BOOKS  FOB  BEADING  ASSIGNMENTS  23 

students  can  go  for  information  along  the  lines  of 
technique,  history,  biography;  second,  if  the  channels 
into  print  are  inadequate  so  that  the  student  can  do 
only  the  minimum  amount  of  written  work,  the  pro- 
portion of  time  that  can  profitably  be  given  to  book 
work  of  any  sort  will  be  correspondingly  more. 

The  teacher  will  inevitably  work  out  his  own  idea 
of  what  the  course  should  be,  but  it  is  safe  to  say  that 
the  longer  he  teaches  it,  the  less  he  will  depend  on 
books.  This  is  not  to  say,  however,  that  a  shelf  of 
newspaper  books  is  not  indispensable,  if  for  no  other 
reason,  in  order  to  cultivate  respect  for  the  course  in 
the  minds  of  such  persons  as  are  not  much  impressed 
by  anything  until  they  have  beheld  the  backs  and 
titles  of  the  "literature"  of  the  subject. 

A  few  of  the  best  books  on  news  writing  and  edit- 
ing, and  the  types  of  newspaper  stories  should  cer- 
tainly be  available.  If  possible  the  library  should 
contain  also  a  history  of  journalism,  the  biographies 
of  a  few  great  journalists,  and  a  few  books  on  adver- 
tising— perhaps  twenty  volumes  in  all.  Standard 
reference  books  are,  of  course,  necessary. 

A  LIST  FROM  WHICH  TO  CHOOSE 

The  following  list  of  books  contains  by  no  means  all 
the  titles  that  are  worthy  of  mention,  but  it  will  be 
useful  in  forming  the  nucleus  for  a  newspaper  alcove 
in  the  high  school  library. 

An  expenditure  of  $25.00  will  make  a  fair  beginning. 

Theory  of  Newspaper  Writing. 

"News,  Ads,  and  Sales,"  by  John  Baker  Opdycke; 


24       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

The  Macmillan  Co.,  New  York;  1914;  pp.  192;  illus- 
trated; |1.25. 

Easy  and  interesting  description  of  newspaper  form 
and  content,  magazines,  advertising,  and  salesman- 
ship, with  list  of  helpful  questions  and  topics  for  class 
discussion.  Perhaps  the  best  beginners'  book  for  high 
school  pupils. 

"Practical  English  Composition :  Book  II,"  by  Ed- 
win L.  Miller;  Houghton  Mifflin  Co.,  Boston;  1917; 
pp.  175 ;  $.35. 

Stimulating  discussion  of  news  writing,  analyses  of 
model  stories,  and  suggested  time  schedule  for  one 
hundred  days'  work.  Also  list  of  subjects  for  stories 
and  suggested  readings.  Likely  to  be  of  much  assist- 
ance to  the  teacher. 

"Newspaper  Writing  and  Editing,"  by  Willard  G. 
Bleyer;  Houghton  Mifflin  Co.,  Boston;  1913;  pp.  350; 
$1.65. 

An  exhaustive  discussion  of  news  gathering,  writ- 
ing and  editing.  A  text  book  used  widely  in  college 
classes.  Indispensable  for  the  use  of  the  teacher, 
especially  the  teacher  with  limited  preparation. 

"The  Writing  of  News :  A  Hand  Book,"  by  Charles 
G.  Boss ;  Henry  Holt  &  Co.,  New  York ;  1911 ;  pp.  233 ; 
illustrated;  $1.40. 

A  text-book  taking  up  all  phases  of  newspaper  work. 
One  of  the  most  useful  of  the  earlier  books  on  the 
subject. 

"Making  a  Newspaper,"  by  John  L.  Given;  Henry 
Holt  &  Co.,  New  York;  1911;  pp.  300;  $1.50. 

A  complete  account  of  newspaper  methods  and 
organization.  One  of  the  earlier  books  on  the  subject 


BOOKS  FOR  READING  ASSIGNMENTS  25 

but  one  of  the  very  best,  though  lacking  the  distinctive 
text  book  form.  Likely  to  prove  useful  and  interest- 
ing to  both  teacher  and  pupil. 

"The  Practice  of  Journalism,"  by  Walter  Williams 
and  Frank  L.  Martin ;  E.  W.  Stephens  Publishing  Co., 
Columbia,  Mo.;  1911;  pp.  300;  $2.00. 

A  treatise  on  newspaper  making,  containing  divi- 
sions on  the  newspaper  profession,  editorial  writing, 
news  gathering  and  news  writing.  An  excellent  book 
for  reference  reading  in  high  school  classes. 

"Practical  Journalism,"  by  Edwin  L.  Shuman; 
D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  New  York;  1905;  pp.  265;  illus- 
trated; $1.25. 

An  interesting  treatment  of  newspaper  topics  used 
as  "The  Evolution  of  the  Press,"  "The  reporter  at 
work,"  "Editors  and  their  methods,"  "Women  in  news- 
paper work,"  "Editing  a  country  paper,"  "The  law  of 
libel." 

"News  Writing :  The  Gathering,  Writing,  and  Han- 
dling of  News  Stories,"  by  M.  Lyle  Spencer;  D.  C. 
Heath  &  Co.,  New  York;  1917;  pp.  357;  $1.25. 

An  exceedingly  practical  book  approaching  the  work 
of  the  reporter  as  he  will  meet  it  on  beginning  his  first 
morning's  duties  in  the  news  room.  Also  contains 
types  of  "stories,"  and  an  appendix  with  much  infor- 
mation on  style,  correcting  copy,  proof  reading,  and 
terminology.  A  valuable  book  for  beginners. 

"Essentials  in  Journalism,"  by  H.  F.  Harrington 
and  T.  T.  Frankenberg;  Ginn  &  Company,  New  York; 
1912;  pp.  300;  illustrated;  $1.75. 

A  manual  on  newspaper  making,  in  four  parts: 


26       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

"The  collecting  and  writing  of  news,"  "The  work  of 
the  staff,"  "Making  a  newspaper,"  "The  American 
Press :  its  history  and  problems."  An  appendix  con- 
tains examples  and  rules.  A  very  complete  discussion 
of  the  subject. 

"Writing  for  the  Press,"  by  Kobert  Luce ;  Clipping 
Bureau  Press,  Boston;  1907;  pp.  302;  $1.00. 

A  book  on  newspaper  writing  with  more  than  the 
usual  space  devoted  to  matters  of  language  and  style. 
Particularly  helpful  in  the  study  of  diction. 

"Newspaper  Eeporting  and  Correspondence,"  by 
Grant  M.  Hyde;  D.  Appleton  &  Co.,  New  York;  1912; 
pp.  350;  $1.50. 

A  comprehensive  manual  for  reporters,  correspond- 
ents, and  students  of  newspaper  writing. 

"Journalism  for  High  Schools,"  by  Charles  Dillon ; 
Noble  and  Noble,  New  York;  1918;  pp.  120;  $1.25. 

A  guide  book  for  students  in  conducting  the  school 
paper,  and  in  preparing  themselves  for  newspaper 
work.  Places  emphasis  on  the  fundamentals  of  news 
writing  and  the  avoidance  of  mistakes  commonly 
made  by  beginners. 

History  and  Biography. 

"Journalism  in  the  United  States,"  by  Frederic 
Hudson;  Harper  &  Brothers,  New  York;  1873;  pp. 
800;  $5.00. 

An  exhaustive  account  of  the  American  Press  from 
1690  to  1872.  The  only  work  of  its  kind.  Valuable 
for  reference  but  somewhat  lacking  in  that  proportion 
which  distinguishes  a  history  from  a  compilation, 


BOOKS  FOR  BEADING  ASSIGNMENTS  27 

"The  American  Newspaper,"  by  James  E.  Bogers; 
University  of  Chicago  Press,  Chicago ;  1909 ;  pp.  200 ; 
$1.00. 

A  discussion  of  the  different  types  of  newspapers  in 
the  United  States  with  quantitative  and  qualitative 
studies  of  the  different  kinds  of  materials  in  news- 
papers. 

"Horace  Greeley,"  by  W.  A.  Linn;  D.  Appleton  & 
Co.,  New  York;  1903;  pp.  267;  illustrated;  $1.00. 

A  brief  and  interesting  biography  of  the  founder 
and  editor  of  the  New  York  Tribune. 

"Joseph  Pulitzer,"  by  Alleyne  Ireland;  Mitchell 
Kennerly,  New  York ;  1914 ;  pp.  230 ;  illustrated ;  $1.25. 

Gives  an  intimate  view  of  the  blind  editor  in  his 
later  years,  as  he  was  known  to  one  of  his  secretaries. 

"William  Bockhill  Nelson :  The  Story  of  a  Man,  a 
Newspaper  and  a  City,"  by  members  of  the  staff  of  the 
Kansas  City  Star;  The  Biverside  Press,  Cambridge; 
1915;  pp.  274;  illustrated. 

A  lifelike  presentation  of  one  of  the  great  person- 
alities in  American  journalism.  An  account  of  his 
fruitful  work  for  his  city  and  his  fine  ideals  of  news- 
paper service  to  society. 

"The  Newspaper,"  by  G.  Binney  Dibblee;  Henry 
Holt  &  Co.,  New  York;  1913;  pp.  256;  $.50. 

An  interesting  account  of  English  newspapers  with 
frequent  references  to  the  press  of  the  United  States. 

"The  Making  of  a  Newspaper  Man,"  by  Samuel  G. 


28       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

Blythe ;  Henry  Altemus  Company,  Philadelphia;  1912 ; 
pp.  239;  $1.00. 

The  author's  own  story  of  his  experiences  in  news- 
paper work  in  boyhood  and  early  manhood. 

"History  of  American  Journalism,"  by  James  Mel- 
vin  Lee;  Houghton  Mifflin  Company,  Boston;  1917; 
pp.  462;  $2.50. 

An  account  of  the  American  Press  covering  the 
periods  included  in  Hudson's  history  and  the  forty- 
five  years  since.  Characterized  by  freshness  and 
human  interest. 

Advertising. 

"Advertising:  Its  Principles,  Practice,  and  Tech- 
nique," by  Daniel  Starch;  Scott,  Foresman  &  Co., 
Chicago;  1914;  pp.  281;  $1.25. 

An  interesting  discussion  of  the  problems  of  adver- 
tising, display  type,  mediums,  copy-writing,  and  many 
other  phases  of  the  subject.  An  excellent  book  for  the 
beginner. 

"The  Advertiser's  Handbook,"  International  Text 
Book  Company,  Scranton,  Pa.,  1910 ;  pp.  400 ;  $.50. 

A  small  volume  packed  full  of  information  for  the 
beginner.  Presents  full  details  as  to  copy,  typog- 
raphy, illustration,  mediums,  management,  and  adver- 
tising plans. 

"Writing  an  Advertisement,"  by  S.  Koland  Hall; 
Houghton  Mifflin  Co.,  Boston;  1915;  pp.  218;  illus- 
trated; $.85. 

Interesting  account  of  the  work  of  an  advertis- 
ing man,  enriched  by  many  references  to  incidents  in 
the  advertising  world. 


BOOKS  FOR  READING  ASSIGNMENTS  29 

Miscellaneous. 

"Types  of  News  Writing,"  by  Willard  G.  Bleyer; 
Houghton  Mifflin  Co.,  Boston;  1916;  pp.  265;  $1.50. 

Well  selected  examples  of  all  kinds  of  news  stories 
classified  in  fifteen  groups.  Each  group  preceded  by 
a  discussion  of  the  technique  of  the  particular  type  of 
story  in  hand.  Presents  illustrative  material  in  such 
form  as  to  save  much  time  for  the  teacher. 

"Typical  Newspaper  Stories,"  selected  and  edited 
by  H.  F.  Harrington;  Ginn  &  Co.,  New  York;  1915; 
pp.  297;  $1.60. 

Selections  of  local  and  personal  items,  short  and 
long  news  stories,  human  interest  and  feature  stories, 
interviews,  stories  of  sports,  crowds,  and  war.  Each 
chapter  contains  a  helpful  interpretative  introduction. 

"Editorials  from  the  Hearst  Newspapers" ;  Arcadia 
Press;  1906;  $1.00. 

Selections  from  the  earlier  work  of  Arthur  Bris- 
bane, illustrating  his  vigorous  style  and  appreciation 
of  the  human  interest  element. 

"Casual  Essays  of  the  Sun";  Robert  Grier  Cooke, 
New  York;  1905;  pp.  422. 

Contains  some  two  hundred  editorials  in  the  char- 
acteristic style  of  the  Sun.  "Articles  on  many  sub- 
jects, clothed  with  the  philosophy  of  the  bright  side  of 
things." 

"National  Floodmarks,"  edited  by  Mark  Sullivan; 
George  H.  Doran  Company,  New  York;  1915;  pp. 
391;  $1.50. 

"The  Editorial,"  by  L.  N.  Flint;  D.  Appleton  &  Co., 
New  York;  1920;  pp.  262;  $2.25. 


30       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

"The  Coming  Newspaper,"  by  Merle  Thorpe ;  Henry 
Holt  &  Co.,  New  York;  1915;  pp.  323;  $1.50. 

A  collection  of  addresses  on  vital  topics  by  eminent 
journalists  and  others,  with  an  introduction  by  the 
editor  dealing  with  the  criticisms  aimed  at  the  modern 
press  and  the  present  day  tendencies  in  journalism. 

"The  Profession  of  Journalism,"  by  Willard  Gros- 
venor  Bleyer;  The  Atlantic  Monthly  Press,  Boston; 
1918;  pp.292. 

A  collection  of  articles  on  newspaper  editing  and 
publishing,  taken  from  the  Atlantic  Monthly.  Exceed- 
ingly valuable  matter  for  collateral  reading  in  any 
course  dealing  with  the  newspaper. 

WHAT  A  GOOD  PAPER  DOES  FOR  A  SCHOOL 

When  written  by  the  students  in  a  course  in  News- 
paper Writing  the  high  school  paper  may  become  a 
useful  interpreter  of  the  school.  But  a  school  paper 
that  is  allowed  to  "run  wild"  is  anything  but  a  useful 
interpreter. 

That  freedom  of  expression  in  print  is  an  inalien- 
able right  of  the  immature  as  well  as  those  experi- 
enced enough  to  appreciate  its  powers,  its  dangers, 
and  its  responsibilities,  is  a  pernicious  idea  for  young 
people  to  acquire.  A  paper  largely  frivolous  in  its 
matter  and  impertinent  in  its  tone ;  placing  absurd  em- 
phasis on  the  trivial,  reveling  in  cheap  humor,  and  dis- 
colored by  bad  taste  is  infinitely  worse  than  no  paper. 

But  a  paper  which,  under  the  guidance  of  a  person 
of  mature  judgment,  prints  not  only  the  interesting 
personal  news  of  the  school — such  as  the  items  about 


WHAT  A  GOOD  PAPER  DOES  FOR  A  SCHOOL      31 

class  elections,  trips  out  of  town  by  students,  and 
funny  incident  stories — but  also  the  more  significant 
news  about  a  new  course  of  study,  an  experiment  in 
the  physics  laboratory,  a  piece  of  new  equipment,  or 
a  change  on  the  teaching  staff — in  other  words,  a  real 
newspaper — helps  the  school  itself  to  acquire  a 
healthy  self -consciousness  and  educates  the  commu- 
nity to  a  better  appreciation  of  what  the  school  is 
doing  for  its  young  people. 

Sometimes  special  pages  or  even  entire  issues  may 
be  given  over  to  describing  and  interpreting  and 
encouraging  the  work  of  some  one  department  in  the 
school.  Care  should  be  taken,  of  course,  to  treat  all 
departments  with  fairness.  It  is  advisable  to  insure 
this,  in  even  routine  news,  by  keeping  a  schedule  of 
all  the  departments  and  interests  of  the  school  and 
checking  them  as  they  receive  mention.  And  there  is 
news  everywhere.  A  good  reporter  can  get  more  news 
out  of  the  Latin  room  than  a  poor  one  can  find  in  the 
principal's  office.  It  lies  with  the  reporters  to  see  that 
every  part  of  the  school  is  translated  into  news. 

A  good  school  paper  is  an  asset  and  the  school  will 
"realize  on"  it  when  the  time  comes  for  a  new  building 
or  an  increase  in  the  tax  levy. 

Not  only  do  the  selfish  interests  of  the  school  call 
for  a  paper,  but  the  obligation  of  the  teacher  to  supply 
school  patrons  with  the  information  they  crave  about 
school  affairs  demands  such  a  means  of  communica- 
tion. The  local  papers  do  not  always  find  time  to  give 
adequate  attention  to  school  affairs. 

No  one  is  likely  to  lose  sight  of  the  functions  of  the 
paper  as  a  creator  of  school  pride.  Here,  again,  the 


32       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

judgment  of  the  teacher  must  come  into  play  in: 
leading  students  to  select  as  matters  for  pride  the 
things  that  deserve  admiration. 

The  value  of  the  paper  as  an  exemplifier  of  good 
business  methods  may  be  very  great.  It  is  not  strange 
that,  left  to  themselves,  student  managers  of  a  news- 
paper often  arrive  at  a  low  level  of  business  conduct. 
Methods  of  concealment  and  deception  creep  in.  The 
influence  on  everybody  concerned  is  bad.  On  the  other 
hand,  a  paper  with  business  records  carefully  kept  and 
open  to  inspection;  with  a  uniform  advertising  rate 
and  a  subscription  list  paid  in  advance,  is  an  inocula- 
tor  of  the  right  business  ideals.  A  well  managed  news- 
paper develops  confidence  and  initiative  in  all  who 
work  on  it.  The  reporter  who  learns  to  interview  the 
president  of  the  board  of  education  without  forgetting 
what  he  went  after,  no  less  than  the  ad-manager  who 
talks  business  to  the  largest  advertiser  in  town  with- 
out trepidation,  gets  an  invaluable  training. 

That  the  school  paper  can  perform  wonders  in  as- 
sisting school  enterprises  goes  without  saying.  The 
student  publication  left  without  guidance,  however,  is 
likely  to  expend  all  of  its  enthusiasm  upon  athletics, 
leaving  the  less  spectacular  enterprises  of  the  school 
to  shift  for  themselves.  A  lecture  course  is  not  as 
thrilling  as  a  football  season.  The  school  paper  should 
not  pretend  to  think  so.  Much  more  space  will  prop- 
erly be  given  to  athletic  events.  Their  legitimate 
news  value  requires  it.  But  the  lecture  course  will 
yield  many  genuinely  interesting  stories  to  the  paper 
that  looks  for  them.  So  it  is  with  the  debating  society, 
or  the  oratorical  contest,  the  movement  in  support  of 


FIELD  FOR  A  HIGH  SCHOOL  PAPER  33 

a  charitable  object,  or  the  presentation  of  a  gift  to  the 
school. 

Another  function  of  a  well  conducted  school  paper 
is  to  act  as  a  medium  for  the  expression  of  student 
opinion.  This  means  that  the  paper  becomes  a  safety 
valve  for  student  feelings.  Ultimately  its  value  here 
is  that  of  a  unifying  influence.  Sometimes  in  a  quite 
unexpected  way  it  develops  respect  for  authority. 
Editorial  responsibility  is  sobering.  In  some  school 
crisis  the  student  at  the  head  of  the  paper  suddenly 
discovers  that  he  must  distinguish  sharply  between 
himself  as  a  boy  in  school  and  the  same  self  as  an 
editor  of  a  paper  with  the  welfare  of  the  school  as  a 
whole  in  his  keeping.  The  net  influence  of  the  paper, 
except  in  rare  instances,  is  sure  to  be  in  the  line  of 
good  discipline.  By  its  manner  of  handling  matters 
of  controversy  it  will  keep  down  strife  not  only  be- 
tween groups  of  students  but  between  students  and 
teachers.  The  measure  of  its  good  influence  depends 
only  on  the  wisdom  of  those  in  charge  of  it. 

But  the  serious  purposes  of  the  paper  must  not  for 
an  instant  be  allowed  to  obscure  the  fact  that  a  prime 
necessity  of  its  being  is  that  it  be  interesting — read- 
able. It  must  always  be  a  student  paper  with  the  zest 
of  youth,  not  a  monstrosity  artificially  aged  by  a 
supervisor. 

FIELD  FOR  A  HIGH  SCHOOL  PAPER 

In  how  small  a  high  school  may  a  paper  be  at- 
tempted? 

That  question  has  been  shown  by  experience  to  be 
impossible  of  a  definite  answer.  The  safest  statement 


34       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

to  make  is  that  no  high  school  is  too  small  for  the 
support  of  a  creditable  paper  provided  the  idea  back 
of  such  a  paper  is  properly  "sold"  to  the  school  and 
to  the  community. 

It  is  no  longer  a  novel  saying  that  salesmanship,  in 
a  broad  sense,  enters  into  most  of  the  events  of  every 
person's  day.  It  is  in  this  sense  that  the  idea  of  a 
school  paper  must  be  "sold."  Experience  shows  that 
a  teacher  with  the  enthusiasm  and  skill  of  a  good 
salesman  can  do  this  in  a  small  town  as  successfully 
as  in  a  large  town,  provided  fortune  smiles  on  him  to 
the  extent  of  supplying  a  boy  or  two  and  a  girl  or  two 
who  have  the  heavenborn  initiative  and  aggressive- 
ness that  makes  them  helpful  in  such  undertakings. 
With  these  indispensable  assistants  the  burden  on  the 
teacher  of  maintaining  a  school  paper,  even  in  a  very 
small  town,  is  light. 

If  a  paper  can  be  financed  in  no  other  way,  assist- 
ance should  be  given  by  the  general  school  fund  for 
the  reason  that  a  good  paper  is  a  valuable  part  of  the 
school  equipment. 

Perhaps  the  second  doubt  that  presents  itself  to  the 
mind  of  the  prospective  founder  of  a  high  school  paper 
is  that  there  may  be  insufficient  material  for  publica- 
tion. This  is  never  good  cause  for  concern.  There 
will  not  always  be  smashing  news  stories  for  every 
issue  of  the  paper,  but  that  merely  means  that  the 
stories  which  are  available  must  be  handled  with  all 
the  more  skill.  Fortunate  indeed  is  the  student  who 
learns  to  make  the  most  of  what  he  has.  The  interest- 
ing treatment  of  relatively  important  news  enables 
many  a  newspaper  to  succeed.  The  suggested  assign- 


FIELD  FOR  A  HIGH  SCHOOL  PAPER  35 

ments  in  the  outline  of  the  course  may  be  of  assistance 
in  this  direction  to  the  teacher  with  little  experience. 

"But  will  the  students  take  hold  and  work  hard 
enough  to  make  the  paper  successful?  Enthusiasm  of 
students  has  been  known  to  fail  in  the  best  of  causes. 
Might  the  paper  become  a  dead  weight  on  the  teacher's 
shoulders?" 

Experience  has  given  reassuring  answers  to  all  such 
questions.  The  strength  of  the  interest  incentive  may 
be  relied  upon.  No  student  remembers  to  count  hours 
devoted  to  so  novel  an  experience  as  getting  out  a 
paper.  A  sesse  of  the  grind  comes,  if  at  all,  years 
afterwards  at  the  fag  end  of  the  daily  round  in  some 
newspaper  office. 

"But  the  paper  will  make  mistakes !  It  is  hopeless 
to  expect  accuracy  of  students!  There  will  be  com- 
plaints !  The  paper  is  liable  to  become  an  unmitigated 
nuisance !" 

All  of  which  apprehensions  are  in  a  measure  justi- 
fied. The  person  who  supervises  a  high  school  paper 
must  expect  annoyances;  must  expect  that  after  he 
has  perfected  a  system  by  which  the  spelling  of  every 
name  that  goes  into  the  paper  is  to  be  verified  by  three 
different  persons,  names  will  appear  in  print  as  badly 
scrambled  as  if  the  object  had  been  a  conscientious 
transposition  of  as  many  letters  as  possible;  the 
teacher  of  physics  will  report  that  he  has  been  mis- 
quoted as  to  the  use  of  the  gyroscope  to  lend  stability 
to  airplanes ;  some  of  the  cleanest  copy  handed  in  will 
turn  out  to  be  worthless  as  news  material  and  some  of 
the  best  stories  will  be  illegible ;  the  instructor  will  be 
harassed  at  all  hours  of  the  day  and  night  with  ques- 


36       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

tions  about  the  obvious  and  inquiries  about  the  trivial 
— all  these  things,  and  more,  will  test  the  patience  and 
refine  the  tact  of  the  one  who  looks  after  the  school 
paper.  But  it  is  worth  the  price.  From  all  stand- 
points— service  to  the  students  in  the  class,  benefits  to 
the  school,  exercise  of  his  own  powers — the  instructor 
is  well  paid  for  all  the  efforts  he  expends. 

HOW  SHOULD  THE  STAFF  BE  ORGANIZED 

Assuming  that  there  are  as  many  as  twenty  boys 
and  girls  in  the  class  in  Newspaper  Writing  it  is 
usually  advisable  that  the  teacher,  having  received 
authority  from  the  faculty,  should  appoint  the  chief 
executive  in  each  of  the  two  principal  departments  of 
the  paper,  editorial  and  business.  Sometimes  it  will 
be  found  advisable  to  fill  such  positions  by  an  election 
in  which  the  members  of  the  class  or  even  the  members 
of  the  entire  school  participate.  Under  some  condi- 
tions neither  the  editor  nor  the  business  manager 
could  wisely  be  chosen  from  the  class. 

The  personnel  of  the  staff  must  be  such  as  to  com- 
mand the  respect  of  the  school.  But  it  is  the  teacher's 
task  to  see  that  merit  and  not  popularity  is  the  con- 
trolling factor  in  all  selections.  Details  as  to  the 
method  of  nominating  members  of  the  staff  cannot 
profitably  be  discussed  here,  since  the  degree  of  par- 
ticipation by  the  school  or  the  class  or  the  faculty  in 
making  nominations,  eliminating  the  less  fit,  and  exer- 
cising the  final  choice,  will  be  determined  by  varying 
conditions  prevailing  in  the  school.  Almost  the  only 
invariable  rule  is  that  the  directing  influence  of  the 
teacher  should  be  felt  in  everything  that  is  done. 


THE  APPEARANCE  OF  THE  PAPER  37 

When  completely  organized,  the  staff  will  be  com- 
posed somewhat  as  follows:  An  editor  in  chief;  an 
assistant  editor  to  help  with  the  editorial  page;  an 
assistant  editor  to  help  with  the  news;  reporters 
assigned  to  the  different  school  interests  and  activities 
and  perhaps  to  the  different  rooms  and  classes;  as 
many  department  editors  as  may  seem  desirable  to 
look  after  literary  features,  humorous  material,  ex- 
changes, etc. ;  a  business  manager ;  an  assistant  busi- 
ness manager  in  charge  of  advertising ;  and  an  assist- 
ant business  manager  in  charge  of  circulation. 

The  principal  editors,  in  consultation  with  the 
supervisor,  will  determine  the  policies  of  the  paper. 

The  editor-in-chief,  working  with  his  assistants, 
will  plan  each  issue  of  the  paper,  write  or  select 
editorials,  prepare  and  give  out  news  assignments, 
write  heads  or  edit  heads  written  by  members  of  the 
class,  and  stand  as  the  responsible  head  of  the  paper. 

The  business  manager  will  work  with  both  the  ad- 
vertising and  circulation  managers  in  developing  the 
income  and  controlling  the  expenditures  of  the  paper. 
He  should  require  from  his  assistants  prompt  and 
detailed  reports  on  all  business  matters  and  should  in 
turn  submit  frequent  reports  for  faculty  inspection. 

The  duties  of  the  other  members  of  the  staff  suggest 
themselves  without  enumeration. 

THE  APPEARANCE  OF  THE  PAPER 

With  the  organization  of  the  staff  completed,  the 
next  question  that  arises  concerns  the  typographical 
appearance  of  the  paper.  Naturally,  high  school  ex- 
changes of  different  types  will  be  studied  and  the 


38       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

best  features  of  each  adopted.  The  advice  and  help  of 
a  competent  printer  is  indispensable.  Questions  as 
to  style  and  size  of  type  are  questions  of  taste,  but  it 
is  safe  to  say  that  preference  is  to  be  given  to  plain 
type  both  in  the  main  heading  of  the  paper,  the  heads 
of  the  news  columns,  and  the  advertisements. 

The  larger  size  of  page  affords  the  more  opportuni- 
ties for  effective  make-up. 

Nothing  is  usually  gained  by  departing  from  the 
standard  newspaper  column  width,  thirteen  pica  ems. 

The  handsomest  page  is  likely  to  be  the  one  set  in 
eight  point  type — or  even  seven  point.  Bold  face  type 
is  undesirable.  The  typographical  effect  sought 
should  show  restraint  in  harmony  with  the  size  of 
the  page. 

SOME  BUSINESS  DETAILS 

The  subscription  rate  should  be  affected  only 
slightly  by  the  frequency  of  issue  or  size  of  the  paper. 
A  high  school  paper,  as  such,  regardless  of  how  good  a 
paper  it  is,  should  sell  for  at  least  one  dollar  a  year. 

Likewise  advertising  rates  can  hardly  be  placed  on 
a  scientific  basis.  By  scientific  basis  is  meant  con- 
formity to  the  generally  established  newspaper  rate  of 
approximately  twenty  cents  an  agate  line  for  each 
hundred  thousand  readers.  Any  attempts  to  measure 
the  relative  value  of  advertising  in  the  high  school 
paper  would  be  ridiculous.  The  most  that  can  be  said 
is  that  the  small  paper  must  receive,  in  order  to  exist, 
a  higher  rate  per  inch  per  reader  than  a  larger  paper. 


CHOOSE  AN  APPROPRIATE  NAME  39 

Twenty-five  cents  an  inch  does  not  seem  too  high  for 
space  in  a  high  school  monthly,  or  twenty  cents  in  a 
weekly. 

The  campaign  planned  by  the  circulation  manager 
should  be  so  vigorous  as  to  bring  in  even  the  school 
tight-wad.  In  some  public  way  the  merits  and  the 
needs  of  the  paper  should  be  presented  to  the  school 
as  a  whole  and  the  cooperation  of  the  faculty  and  stu- 
dents alike  enlisted. 

Every  business  man  in  town  may  be  regarded  as  a 
possible  advertiser.  The  business  manager  and  the 
advertising  manager  will  work  together  in  planning 
the  most  effective  campaign  to  reach  merchant  and 
professional  man.  The  teacher  should  strive  to  de- 
velop real  salesmanship  ability  in  the  advertising 
manager.  Any  paper  will  lead  a  precarious  existence 
if  it  is  on  a  charity  basis.  A  profitable  business  comes 
with  the  respect  of  the  merchants.  The  advertising 
manager  gains  this  respect  by  first  putting  himself  in 
the  merchant's  place  and  studying  the  question  from 
that  standpoint,  and  then  presenting  the  matter  to  the 
merchant  in  a  logical,  forceful,  and  courteous  manner. 

COST  OF  A  PAPER 

The  cost  of  printing  five  hundred  copies  of  a  five- 
column,  four-page  paper  will  be  approximately  twenty 
dollars.  A  four-column  paper  will  cost  four  or  five 
dollars  less. 

CHOOSE  AN  APPROPRIATE  NAME 

At  the  close  of  this  discussion  of  the  high  school 
paper,  a  plea  should  be  made  for  the  adoption  of  a  sen- 


40       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

sible  name.  There  are  many  standard  names  for 
newspapers  which  are  dignified  and  significant.  The 
object  sought  in  choosing  a  name  should  not  be  unique- 
ness. Such  names  as  News,  Herald,  Times,  Tribune, 
Journal,  Gazette,  are  appropriate. 

STUDENTS  SHOULD  CKITICIZE  THEIR  PAPER 

When  the  paper  appears,  the  class  will  profit  by 
turning  upon  it  the  most  searching  criticism : 

Is  the  appearance  of  the  paper  satisfactory?  Is 
the  first  impression  that  the  paper  gives  a  good  one? 

Is  the  material  that  has  gone  into  the  paper  inter- 
esting, varied,  vital  to  the  school? 

Does  the  paper  represent  the  coordinated  work  of 
many  or  the  disproportionate  effort  of  a  few? 

Is  the  issue  satisfactory  from  a  business  point  of 
view? 

Is  there  a  purpose — a  dynamic  force — behind  the 
paper:  to  promote  a  school  or  civic  enterprise,  to 
improve  the  work  or  the  play  or  the  health  of  the 
school  and  town? 

Has  the  proof  reading  been  well  done? 

Has  the  material  been  handled  in  the  best  possible 
manner  to  get  out  of  it  the  utmost  news  value? 

Are  there  bits  of  bright,  clean,  poisonless  fun  for 
entertainment's  sake? 

Is  the  paper  keenly  alive  to  the  future  as  well  as 
the  past  and  present? 

In  what  ways  can  the  next  issue  be  made  better 
than  the  present  one? 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  COURSE  BY  WEEKS          41 


Outline  of  the  Course,  by  Weeks 

The  outline  which  follows  is  merely  a  framework 
on  which  the  teacher  may  build  a  course  in  Newspaper 
Writing.  In  no  case  is  the  analysis  of  topics  exhaus- 
tive ;  it  merely  suggests  the  direction  of  the  discussion. 

In  the  planning  of  the  assignments,  it  has  been 
assumed  that  the  class  will  write  for  a  weekly  school 
paper. 

The  division  of  the  materials  of  the  course  into  two 
classes  described  as  "The  Newspaper"  and  "News- 
paper Writing"  seems  necessary  and  useful.  The  lat- 
ter group  is  of  course,  the  more  important.  Indeed, 
the  former  might  be  omitted  entirely  without  destroy- 
ing the  value  of  the  course,  although  there  would 
result,  in  all  probability,  a  lessening  of  interest.  The 
student  would  also  fail  to  get  considerable  informa- 
tion that  all  readers  of  newspapers  should  have. 

Some  teachers  will  prefer  to  devote  one  period  a 
week  to  "The  Newspaper."  Others  will  find  it  better 
to  take  up  such  topics  in  the  first  ten  or  fifteen  min- 
utes of  each  period. 

Some  teachers  with  considerable  preparation  for 
handling  the  course  will  prefer  to  give  talks  on  "The 
Newspaper."  Others  with  less  preparation  will  get 
equally  good  results  by  assigning  the  topics  to  the 
members  of  the  class  and  having  their  reports  read. 
This  will  be  a  particularly  good  plan  in  dealing  with 
historical  and  biographical  subjects. 

In  the  division,  "Newspaper  Writing,"  emphasis 
has  been  placed  on  the  discussion  and  criticism  of 


42       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

students'  work.  This  alone  should  probably  occupy 
more  of  the  time  of  the  class  than  all  the  rest  of  the 
work.  The  study  of  errors  and  of  points  of  excellence 
in  the  work  of  students  is  of  the  utmost  value. 

Likewise  in  suggested  "Assignments,"  emphasis  has 
been  placed  on  the  writing  of  news.  If  the  paper 
starts  the  first  week  of  school,  the  students  will  have 
time  for  nothing  but  news  writing,  and  other  assign- 
ments should  be  omitted. 

It  may  be  found  advisable  to  require  weekly — or 
occasional — themes  in  addition  to  the  writing  of  news- 
paper stories.  Every  department  of  the  newspaper 
can  supply  several  excellent  theme  topics.  Some  of 
the  books  on  newspaper  writing,  particularly  Op- 
dyke's  "News,  Ads,  and  Sales,"  offer  suggestive  lists 
of  such  topics. 

FIKST  TEEM 

FIKST  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

The  newspaper  as  a  business  and  social  institution. 
What  it  is.  The  individual  and  social  needs  that  have 
brought  it  into  being.  The  points  of  view  from  which 
a  newspaper  must  be  surveyed  in  order  to  be  under- 
stood: material;  mechanical;  typographical;  make- 
up; scope,  quantity,  and  completeness  of  news  mat- 
ter; handling  and  departmentalization  of  news;  com- 
ment or  opinion;  entertainment  features;  advertis- 
ing ;  style ;  tone  or  spirit ;  ethical  qualities ;  purposes ; 
dynamic  force ;  usefulness  to  owner,  town,  state,  coun- 
try, society;  historical  background. 


OUTLINE  OP  THE  COURSE  BY  WEEKS          43 

Newspaper  Writing. 

News :  What  it  is  and  how  it  is  to  be  recognized. 
The  element  of  timeliness.  The  element  of  nearness. 
The  element  of  strangeness.  The  element  of  familiar- 
ity. The  value  of  names.  Explanation  of  newspaper 
terms.  Class  discussions,  questions,  and  criticism. 

Assignments* 

Beading  of  newspapers  in  order  to  find  illustrations 
of  the  topics  discussed  in  class.  Making  memoranda 
in  notebooks  for  reports  in  class.  (Clippings  from 
newspapers  taken  in  the  home  may  be  pasted  in  note- 
books. The  papers  that  come  to  the  class  will,  of 
course,  not  be  mutilated,  but  may  be  marked  for  clip- 
ping purposes  after  they  are  old. ) 

SECOND  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

The  functions  of  newspapers  in  modern  society. 
The  world  without  newspapers.  The  value  of  news- 
papers under  different  forms  of  government. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

Kinds  of  news  to  be  found  in  the  school.  The  chief 
sources  of  news.  Where  to  go  for  news  of  faculty 
meetings,  class  meetings,  lectures,  additions  to  school 
equipment,  laboratory  experiments,  athletic  contests, 
debates,  school  entertainments,  meetings  of  the  board 
of  education,  changes  in  the  faculty,  etc.  Criticism 
of  students'  work. 


*  If,   as  is  desirable,   the  first  issue  of  the  high  school  paper  appears  the 
first  -week  of  school,  the  assignments  will,  from  the  first,  include  the  writing 


of  news. 


44       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

Assignments. 

Original  investigation  as  to  the  value  of  the  local 
paper  to  the  community.  The  same  as  to  the  high 
school  paper.  Beading  references  to  chapters  describ- 
ing the  nature  and  functions  of  newspapers.  Prepa- 
ration of  reports  on  assigned  topics. 

THIRD  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

How  the  newspaper  staff  of  a  large  daily  is  organ- 
ized. How  newspapers  are  put  together.  The  manu- 
facturing processes  in  the  production  of  newspapers. 
Survey  of  the  material  in  a  newspaper  to  determine 
what  members  of  the  organization  have  to  do  with 
each  part. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

Organization  of  the  staff  of  the  students'  paper, 
with  the  teacher  as  general  supervisor  or  as  news 
editor  temporarily.  How  to  approach  different  kinds 
of  people  for  news.  When  and  how  to  take  notes. 
"Don'ts"  for  news  gatherers.  Criticism  of  students' 
work. 

Assignments. 

Investigation  of  methods  of  dividing  the  work  in 
local  newspaper  offices,  and  the  mechanical  side  of 
their  production.  Preparation  of  reports.  Reference 
reading. 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  COURSE  BY  WEEKS          45 

FOURTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

The  kinds  of  materials  that  go  into  the  newspaper. 
The  main  differences  between  news  stories,  human 
interest  stories,  feature  stories,  and  editorials.  (The 
intensive  study  of  these  forms  comes  later.) 

Newspaper  Writing. 

News  sources  in  the  local  community.  How  to  pre- 
pare copy.  (Offer  of  extra  credit  for  typewritten 
copy. )  How  to  handle  names.  The  assignment  book. 
The  future  event  record.  News  runs.  "Don'ts"  for 
the  news  writer.  Criticisms  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Selection  of  examples  of  the  four  kinds  of  news- 
paper articles.  Making  out  of  assignments  for  the 
paper.  Reading  references. 

FIFTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

The  story  of  American  journalism.  (Will  Irwin's 
series  of  articles  on  "The  American  Newspaper,"  pub- 
lished in  occasional  issues  of  Collier's  during  1911, 
will  be  found  helpful  to  teacher  or  student  preparing 
historical  reports.  The  articles  have  not  been  issued 
in  book  form.)  The  first  Colonial  papers.  Benjamin 
Harris  and  John  Campbell.  The  conditions  under 
which  the  first  newspapers  were  published. 


46        NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

Newspaper  writing. 

The  personal  item :  The  skeleton ;  putting  on  the 
flesh.  Complete  identification  of  the  person  men- 
tioned. Common  errors  in  writing  small  news.  Criti- 
cism of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

The  writing  of  personal  news.  Kewriting  items 
after  criticism.  [Reference  reading  on  news. 

SIXTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Early  newspapers  from  the  standpoint  of  personal 
and  local  news.  Comparison  with  English  papers  of 
the  same  period.  A  significant  fight  for  freedom  of 
the  Press  in  the  trial  of  Peter  Zenger. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

The  small  local.  The  dramatic  element  in  small 
news.  The  odd.  The  whimsical.  The  humorous.  The 
pathetic.  The  high  school  reporter's  treatment  of 
confidences.  How  the  reporter  educates  his  acquaint- 
ances to  become  news  sources.  Criticism  of  students' 
work. 

Assignments. 

The  writing  of  small  local  items.  Eewriting  items 
after  criticism.  Reports  regarding  news  sources  and 
difficulties  encountered  by  the  student  in  news  gath- 
ering. 

SEVENTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Pre-Revolutionary  newspapers.     The  character  of 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  COURSE  BY  WEEKS  47 

their  editors.  Their  financial  standing.  The  Revolu- 
tionary epoch  as  to  the  effect  of  its  events  on  the 
Press  of  that  time. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

The  news  story.  The  five  W's:  who,  what,  when, 
where,  why.  How  their  relative  importance  varies. 
Conditions  that  give  pre-eminence  to  one  element. 
Verifying  rumors.  Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Selections  of  examples  of  news  stories  illustrating 
the  different  ways  of  handling  the  five  W's.  Writing 
news  stories.  Reference  reading. 

EIGHTH  WEEK 

The  Newspaper. 

The  political  party  Press.  Service  performed  by 
newspapers  in  the  formation  of  the  country's  institu- 
tions. Deliberation  in  early  newspaper  methods. 

"Newspaper  Writing. 

Structure  of  the  news  story.  Stories  of  fires  and 
accidents  and  personal  encounters.  Study  of  typical 
stories.  Accuracy,  the  first  and  last  word  in  news- 
paper practice.  Why  it  is  difficult  to  attain.  Prac- 
tice in  writing  heads  for  hypothetical  stories. 
"Don'ts"  for  reporters.  Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Reference  reading  on  the  form  of  the  news  story. 
Writing  of  news  stories.  Organization  of  facts  con- 


48        NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

stituting  the  news  story,  preparatory  to  the  dictation 
of  the  story  in  class  as  though  to  a  telephone. 

NINTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

The  first  penny  papers.  Beginning  of  some  of  the 
great  newspapers  of  the  present  day.  Newspapers 
in  Civil  War  times. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

Structure  of  the  news  story  (Continued).  Stories 
of  crime.  Police  news.  Courthouse  news — the  kinds 
of  stories  to  be  found  in  the  different  offices,  and  how 
to  handle  them.  Study  of  model  stories.  Criticism 
of  students7  work. 

Assignments. 

Kegular  reading  and  writing  assignments  supple- 
mented by  practice  in  rewriting  newspaper  stories, 
boiling  down  long  stories,  and  expanding  short  ones. 

TENTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Newspaper  expansion  in  the  latter  part  of  the  Nine- 
teenth century.  The  appearance  of  the  "yellow 
press."  The  development  of  entertainment  features. 
Growth  of  advertising. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

Structure  of  the  news  story  (Continued).  Essen- 
tials of  the  good  report  of  a  speech.  The  use  of  ad- 
vanced copies  of  addresses.  Reports  of  public  enter- 
tainments. Writing  reports  of  births  and  deaths. 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  COURSE  BY  WEEKS          49 

Study  of  model  stories.    Common  faults  of  reporters. 
Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Appropriate  reading  and  writing  assignments.  The 
hearing  of  an  address  (Read  to  the  class  by  the 
teacher,  if  necessary)  and  the  writing  of  a  report 
thereof. 

ELEVENTH  WEEK 

The  Newspaper. 

The  Press  of  the  Twentieth  century,  in  cities  and  in 
rural  communities. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

Structure  and  style  of  news  stories.  Stories  of 
sports.  What  the  reporter  must  know  about  games 
and  players.  The  misuse  of  slang.  Fairness  in  re- 
ports of  contest.  Study  of  typical  stories.  Criticism 
of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

News  writing.  The  writing  of  follow-up  stories. 
Discovery  of  new  angles  from  which  to  look  at  a  news 
situation.  Beading  references. 

TWELFTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Biographical  stories.  The  life  of  Benjamin  Frank- 
lin and  his  contribution  to  American  journalism. 
William  Cullen  Bryant  as  an  editor. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

Structure  and  style  of  news  stories  (Continued). 


50        NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

The  news  of  society.  Reporting  parties,  receptions, 
visits,  engagements,  marriages.  The  news  of  business 
changes  and  town  improvements.  Market  news. 
Hotel  news.  Local  politics.  Studies  of  typical  stories. 
Scoops.  Tips.  Criticism  of  students'  work. 
Assignments. 

Gathering  and  writing  of  town  news  and  compari- 
son of  work  with  that  of  the  reporters  on  local  papers. 
Study  of  several  small  papers  from  different  states 
and  reports  on  contrasting  methods  of  handling  town 
news.  Reading  references. 

THIRTEENTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Biographical  studies.    The  life  and  work  of  Horace 
Greeley.    Influence  on  American  journalism  of  James 
Gordon  Bennett.     Newspaper  career  of  Charles  A. 
Dana. 
Newspaper  Writing. 

(Having  worked  thus  far  towards  acquiring  the 
technique  of  writing  news  stories,  the  student  may 
now  profitably  give  more  attention  to  the  matter  of 
judging  the  value  of  the  material  used  by  news- 
papers. )  News  values  from  the  standpoint  of  the  local 
editor.  Questions  of  breadth  and  depth  of  interest. 
Class  exercises  in  forming  quick  judgments  as  to  news 
values.  Criticism  of  students'  work. 
Assignments. 

Writing  and  reading  assignments  conforming  to  the 
needs  of  the  paper  and  the  teacher's  detailed  plan  for 
the  course.  Report  on  a  search  for  mistakes  in  judg- 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  COURSE  BY  WEEKS          51 

ment  as  to  news  values,  or  conflicts  in  judgments,  by 
different  editors. 

FOURTEENTH  WEEK 

Biographical  studies  of  such  editors  as  Samuel 
Bowles,  Joseph  Medill,  Henry  J.  Raymond,  Joseph 
Pulitzer,  Whitelaw  Reid,  Harrison  Gray  Otis,  and 
William  R.  Nelson;  or  of  such  living  journalists  as 
Henry  Watterson,  William  Randolph  Hearst,  Oswald 
Garrison  Villard,  Victor  Lawson,  James  Kelley,  Jason 
Rogers,  Adolph  Ochs,  Frank  Munsey,  Arthur  Brisbane. 

Newspaper  'Writing. 

The  question  of  news  values  for  papers  at  some  dis- 
tance from  the  event.  Conditions  that  lend  to  a  hap- 
pening importance  largely  irrespective  of  distance. 
Newspaper  correspondents.  The  work  done  by  the 
different  classes  of  correspondents.  How  they  are 
paid.  Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

News  writing.  Reports  on  1  ocal  news  suitable  for 
outside  papers.  Subjects  for  feature  stories  suitable 
for  outside  papers. 

FIFTEENTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Studies  of  newspapers  representing  different  types. 
Papers  of  the  conservative  group.  Distinguishing 
features  common  to  all.  Individual  peculiarities. 
Conservatism  as  to  content  and  as  to  style. 


52       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

Newspaper  Writing. 

Instructions  to  correspondents:  what  to  send  and 
what  not  to  send.  How  to  write  a  query.  How  to  mail 
advance  stories.  The  release  date.  ( The  teacher  may 
assume  the  role  of  a  telegraph  editor,  appointing  the 
students  to  different  kinds  of  correspondence  work.) 
Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Writing  and  reading  assignments.  Practice  in 
writing  queries  and  in  writing  the  longer  stories 
assumed  to  have  been  ordered  as  a  result  of  queries. 

SIXTEENTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Studies  of  newspapers  representing  different  types 
(Continued).  Papers  of  the  sensational  group.  Sen- 
sationalism as  to  content  and  as  to  style.  The  extreme 
type  known  as  "yellow." 

Newspaper  Writing. 

The  interview  as  a  distinctive  form  of  study.  Ad- 
vantages for  the  reader,  the  paper,  and  the  news 
source.  How  to  get  an  interview.  How  to  write  it. 
How  the  reporter  keeps  himself  out  of  the  story.  The 
use  of  quotations.  Study  of  model  interviews.  Criti- 
cism of  the  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

The  writing  of  interviews  with  other  students  or 
with  parents,  then  with  outsiders.  Interviews  with 
clerks  as  to  selling  methods,  with  merchants,  firemen, 
and  others. 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  COURSE  BY  WEEKS          53 

SEVENTEENTH  WEEK 

The  Newspaper. 

Press  associations ;  their  organization,  methods,  and 
usefulness.  News  bureaus.  Syndicates. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

The  interview  (Continued).  How  to  handle  char- 
acterization of  the  person  interviewed;  through  de- 
scriptive passages ;  through  wording  of  conversation ; 
through  introductions  to  quotations.  Study  of  typical 
interviews.  Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

The  writing  of  interviews  containing  characteriza- 
tion. Regular  writing  and  reading  assignments. 

EIGHTEENTH  WEEK 

The  Newspaper. 

How  to  read  newspapers — depending  on  the  time 
and  interests  of  the  reader.  The  good  and  bad  in 
newspapers. 

Neivspaper  Writing. 
Keview. 

Assignments. 
Eeview. 

SECOND  TERM 

During  the  second  term  the  discussion  of  general 
newspaper  topics,  listed  under  the  heading,  "The 
Newspaper,"  takes  up  the  duties  of  individuals  on  the 


54       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

staff.  Then  follows  a  consideration  of  a  few  general 
topics  which  it  did  not  seem  appropriate  to  associate 
with  the  historical  and  biographical  studies  in  the 
first  semester.  The  magazines  also  receive  attention ; 
in  some  high  schools  they  are  given  much  more  time 
than  is  suggested  here. 

In  continuing  throughout  the  year  the  discussions 
which  have  to  do  with  the  professional  aspect  of 
journalism,  the  sole  purpose  is  to  provide  the  keenest 
possible  stimulus  to  the  students'  interest  in  writing 
and  to  impart  information  which  everybody  should 
have. 

Specialized  forms  of  newspaper  writing  receive  at- 
tention during  the  second  term,  but  must  never  be 
allowed  to  encroach  on  the  primary  business  of  the 
course,  the  application  of  rhetorical  principles  to  the 
writing  of  news. 

FIRST  WEEK 

The  Newspaper. 

Duties  of  the  editor-in-chief  and  his  assistants. 
Qualifications  required  for  the  work.  Relations  to 
others  on  the  staff. 

Newspaper  'Writing. 

The  human  interest  story :  what  it  is ;  its  purpose. 
Subject  matter :  stories  of  children,  of  old  people,  of 
cripples,  of  animals,  of  hobbies,  of  nature.  Discussion 
and  criticism  of  students'  work. 
Assignments. 

Gathering  material  for  human  interest  stories  from 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  COURSE  BY  WEEKS          55 

the  life  of  the  school.     Reading  references  on  the 
human  interest  story.     News  writing. 

SECOND  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Duties  of  the  managing  editor.  Qualifications  re- 
quired. Relations  to  others  on  the  staff. 

The  human  interest  story :  its  form.  Organization 
of  human  interest  stories  in  class  and  exercises  in  the 
group  writing  of  such  stories  from  a  given  set  of  facts. 
Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Writing  of  human  interest  stories  from  material 
gathered  outside  the  school.  Reports  on  situations 
and  material  suitable  for  human  interest  treatment 
observed  by  students  in  the  pictures  at  the  "movies." 
News  writing. 

THIRD  WEEK 

The  Newspaper. 

Duties  of  the  news  editor  or  the  night  editor.  The 
work  of  the  city  editor.  Relations  of  each  to  the  other 
members  of  the  staff.  How  they  handle  the  reporters. 
Qualifications  of  reporters :  accuracy,  industry,  relia- 
bility, speed,  impartiality,  nose  for  news. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

The  human  interest  element  in  news.  Importance 
of  appreciation  of  this  element.  Human  interest  side 
lights  in  other  types  of  writing  than  in  newspaper 
writing.  Criticism  of  students'  work. 


56       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

Assignments. 

Searching  the  newspapers  and  magazines  for  ex- 
amples of  human  interest  stories  and  for  bits  of 
human  interest  material.  News  writing. 

FOURTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Duties  of  the  telegraph  editor,  and  his  relations  to 
other  members  of  the  staff.  Duties  of  the  state  editor. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

The  feature  story :  what  it  is ;  its  purpose.  Subject 
matter:  scientific,  historical,  biographical,  artistic, 
industrial,  statistical,  religious.  Criticism  of  the 
students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Gathering  material  for  feature  stories  dealing  with 
something  in  the  school.  Reading  references  on  the 
feature  story.  News  writing. 

FIFTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Duties  of  copy  readers.  Methods  employed  in  edit- 
ing copy. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

Feature  story:  its  form.  Organization  of  feature 
stories  in  class,  and  practice  in  the  group  writing  of 
such  stories.  Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Gathering  material  for  feature  stories  dealing  with 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  COURSE  BY  WEEKS          57 

something  outside  the  school.  Reports  on  material 
suitable  for  feature  story  treatment  observed  by  stu- 
dents in  the  pictures  at  the  "movies."  News  writing. 

SIXTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Department  editors  and  their  duties;  financial  edi- 
tor, dramatic,  art,  literary,  sport,  exchange,  Sunday. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

Feature  stories  about  books.  The  book  review: 
what  a  review  aims  to  do  for  the  reader;  the  fact 
element;  the  element  of  opinion.  The  Sunday  illus- 
trated feature  story.  Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Searching  the  newspapers  and  magazines  for  exam- 
ples of  feature  stories.  Writing  reviews  of  favorite 
books.  News  writing. 

SEVENTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Duties  of  the  business  manager.  Proper  relations 
between  him  and  the  editorial  department. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

The  editorial:  what  it  is;  its  purpose  to  inform, 
interpret,  convince,  influence,  entertain;  subject  mat- 
ter ;  form ;  relation  to  the  news ;  special  weapons  such 
as  irony,  sarcasm,  satire,  innuendo.  Criticism  of  stu- 
dents' work. 


58       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

Assignments. 

Beading  editorials  in  newspapers  and  classifying 
them  from  the  point  of  view  of  purpose  and  from  the 
point  of  view  of  form.  News  writing. 

EIGHTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Duties  of  the  advertising  manager  and  his  relations 
to  the  business  interests  of  his  town.  Number  of  kinds 
of  business  represented  in  the  ordinary  newspaper. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

Editorial  opinion  in  the  other  parts  of  the  paper 
than  in  the  editorial  columns.  The  question  of  intro- 
ducing opinion  into  the  news  stories.  Permissibility 
of  opinions  in  headlines.  Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

The  writing  of  editorials,  both  of  the  critical  type 
and  of  the  constructive  type.  Writing  the  first  and 
last  paragraphs  of  editorials  designed  to  produce 
certain  given  effects.  News  writing. 

NINTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Duties  of  the  circulation  manager.  His  importance 
to  the  prosperity  of  the  paper.  His  value  as  an  ob- 
server of  the  attitude  of  the  public  towards  the  paper. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

Make-up   and   materials   of   the   editorial   pages, 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  COURSE  BY  WEEKS          59 

Special     columns.     Communications.     Paragraphs. 
Verse.     Criticism  of  students7  work. 

Assignments. 

The  writing  of  communications  to  the  school  paper. 
Writing  pointed  paragraphs.  Writing  newspaper 
verse.  Writing  news. 

TENTH  WEEK 

The  Newspaper. 

Newspaper  illustration.  The  newspaper  photog- 
rapher. Engraving  processes. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

The  writing  of  advertising.  Task  of  the  ad  writer 
and  the  means  he  takes  to  have  his  advertisements 
seen,  read,  believed,  remembered,  acted  upon.  Need  for 
a  style  having  simplicity,  clearness,  forcefulness,  em- 
phasis, vividness,  brevity.  Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Investigation  and  reports  on  various  aspects  of 
advertising,  including  the  submission  of  examples  of 
good  and  bad  ads.  News  writing. 

ELEVENTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

Cartoons:  their  purpose  and  their  value  to  the 
paper.  Types  according  to  different  classifications. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

The  ad  writer's  use  of  different  rhetorical  forms. 
Description,  narration,  expositions,  argument  and 


60       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

persuasion    in    advertising.    Criticism    of    students' 
work. 

Assignments. 

Practice  in  writing  advertisements  for  the  paper, 
taking  pains  to  make  each  bit  of  description,  exposi- 
tion or  argument  serve  the  ends  of  salesmanship. 
News  writing. 

TWELFTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

The  newspaper  library  or  "morgue";  how  the  ma- 
terial is  found  and  classified  so  as  to  be  of  the  greatest 
possible  use  to  the  paper. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

Headline  writing.  Heads  that  are  of  the  utmost 
service  to  the  reader.  The  difficulties  of  writing  good 
heads.  The  different  parts  of  a  complex  heading. 
Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Investigation  and  reports  on  headlines  in  news- 
papers. Formulation  of  the  simpler  rules  for  a  style 
sheet  of  headlines.  News  writing. 

THIRTEENTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

The  Sunday  section.  The  prevailing  types,  and  the 
materials  used  by  Sunday  editors.  How  the  Sunday 
paper  differs  in  matter  and  make-up  from  other 
editions. 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  COURSE  BY  WEEKS          61 

Newspaper  Writing. 

Headline  writing  (Continued).  The  styles  of  type 
that  may  be  used.  How  heads  are  built.  The  style 
sheet.  Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Practice  in  writing  headlines.    News  writing. 

FOURTEENTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

The  equipment  of  a  newspaper  office ;  type,  compos- 
ing machines,  presses. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

Copy  reading.  Why  newspaper  styles  are  not  uni- 
form. The  mechanics  of  correcting  copy.  Markings 
used.  Important  rules  of  newspaper  styles.  Criticism 
of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Investigation  and  report  as  to  variations  in  news- 
paper style.  Practice  in  reading  copy.  News  writing. 

FIFTEENTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

The  weekly  periodicals:  reviews  of  general  and 
political  topics ;  literary  weeklies ;  humorous  weeklies. 
Kinds  of  material  used  in  each  type  of  publication  and 
the  resulting  values  to  different  classes  of  people. 

Newspaper  Writing. 

How  the  proof  reading  is  done  in  newspaper  offices. 


62       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

The  expensiveness  of  bad  copy.  The  marks  used  in 
proof  reading.  Rapid  blackboard  drill  in  learning  the 
use  of  proof  reader's  marks.  Criticism  of  students' 
work. 

Assignments. 

Study  of  weekly  periodicals  from  various  points  of 
view;  comparison  of  contrasting  types;  preparation 
of  reports.  News  writing. 

SIXTEENTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

The  weekly  periodicals  (Continued). 
Newspaper  Writing. 

Newspaper  make-up.  Possibilities  in  the  make-up 
for  the  page  of  six  or  seven  or  eight  columns.  Secur- 
ing contrast.  The  balancing  of  type  elements  and 
pictures.  The  "smash."  Number  of  stories  on  the 
page.  Policy  as  to  breaking  over  stories  on  the  front 
page.  Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Preparation  by  the  student  of  his  ideal  newspaper 
page  from  a  typographical  point  of  view,  the  head- 
lines being  printed  with  a  pencil  or  pen  and  the  illus- 
trations represented  as  neatly  as  possible.  News 
writing. 

SEVENTEENTH  WEEK 

The  Newspaper. 

The  monthly  magazines :  reviews  of  general  and  po- 
litical topics;  literary  magazines;  reforms;  business; 


OUTLINE  OF  THE  COURSE  BY  WEEKS          63 

women's  interests.  Kinds  of  material  used  in  each 
type  of  magazine  and  the  resulting  values  to  different 
classes  of  people. 

Newspaper  'Writing. 

Newspaper  make-up  (Continued).  Class  practice 
in  planning  the  make-up  of  the  school  paper  according 
to  a  conservative  style  and  according  to  a  sensational 
style.  Discussion  of  the  advantages  and  disadvan- 
tages of  each.  Criticism  of  students'  work. 

Assignments. 

Study  of  monthly  magazines  from  various  points  of 
view;  comparison  of  contrasting  types;  preparation 
of  reports.  News  writing. 

EIGHTEENTH  WEEK 
The  Newspaper. 

The  monthly  magazine  (Continued). 
Newspaper  Writing. 

Review. 
Assignments. 

Eeview. 


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66       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 


A  University  Course  in  Journalism 

For  those  students  who  have  a  vocational  interest 
in  the  subject,  Newspaper  Writing  in  the  high  school 
serves  as  an  introduction  to  the  professional  courses 
in  the  college  and  in  the  university. 

It  may  possibly  be  of  service  to  the  high  school 
teacher  to  have  at  hand  an  outline  of  a  professional 
course  in  journalism.  The  following  is  the  course 
given  by  the  Department  of  Journalism  in  the  Univer- 
sity of  Kansas. 

FRESHMAN  YEAR 

This  first  year  of  college  work,  required  before  any 
regularly  enrolled  student  can  enter  courses  in  jour- 
nalism, lays  the  foundation  for  the  professional 
courses  in  the  succeeding  years. 

SOPHOMORE  YEAR 

In  this  year  the  student  in  journalism  does  most  of 
his  work  in  regular  college  classes  but  is  admitted  to 
the  following  professional  courses : 

THE  NEWSPAPER  I  (1*).  News  gathering 
and  news  writing.  The  fundamentals  of 
all  forms  of  newspaper  writing.  Credit 
3  hours 

THE  NEWSPAPER  II  (2).  (Continuation  of 
1).  Credit 3  hours 

*  The  number  of  the  course  in  the  University  catalog. 


A  UNIVERSITY  COURSE  IN  JOURNALISM        67 

COMPARATIVE  JOURNALISM  (3).  American 
newspaper  types,  etc.  Credit..  ..2  hours 

HISTORY   OF   AMERICAN   JOURNALISM    (4). 
Credit 2  hours 

JUNIOR  YEAR 

Approximately  half  of  the  student's  work  during 
this  year  is  in  journalism  courses : 

EDITORIAL  PRACTICE  I  ( 61 ) .  Copy  reading, 
make-up.  Credit 2  hours 

EDITORIAL  PRACTICE  II  (62).  (Continuation 
of  61 ) .  Credit 2  hours 

INTERPRETATION  OF  THE  NEWS  I  (53).  Edi- 
torial writing  and  current  events,  depart- 
ments, criticism.  Credit 2  hours 

INTERPRETATION  OF  THE  NEWS  II  (54).  Con- 
tinuation of  53 ).  Credit 2  hours 

ADVERTISING  I  (55).  Markets  and  market- 
ing. Principles  and  organization.  Credit 
3  hours 

ADVERTISING  II  (56).  (Continuation  of  55.) 
Psychology  of  advertising.  Copy  writing. 
Credit 3  hours 

ADVANCED  NEWS  WRITING  I  (67).  Credit 
2  hours 

ADVANCED  NEWS  WRITING  II  (68).  (Con- 
tinuation of  67,)  Credit 2  hours 


68       NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

SENIOR  YEAR 

As  in  the  Junior  year,  regular  college  work  accom- 
panies professional  study: 

EDITORIAL  PROBLEMS  AND  POLICIES  I  (59). 
Ethics,  campaigns,  etc.  Credit. .  3  hours 

EDITORIAL  PROBLEMS  AND  POLICIES  II  (60). 
(Continuation  of  59.)  The  publishing 
world.  Credit 3  hours 

MAGAZINE  WRITING  (51).  Surveys,  analysis, 
practice.  Credit 3  hours 

THE  SHORT  STORY  (52).  History,  theory, 
practice.  Credit -.-.- 3  hours 

NEWSPAPER  ADMINISTRATION  I  (57).  The 
country  newspaper.  Credit 2  hours 

NEWSPAPER  ADMINISTRATION  11(58).  ( Con- 
tinuation of  57.)  Standard  Cost  System. 
Selling  advertising.  Credit 2  hours 

THE  MECHANICS  OF  PRINTING  ( 65 ) .  No  credit 
THE  ART  OF  PRINTING  ( 66 ) No  credit 

GRADUATE  WORK 

Approximately  half  of  the  foregoing  courses  may  be 
pursued  in  the  Graduate  year  for  credit  towards  the 
M.  A.  degree,  in  addition  to  the  exclusively  Graduate 
course : 

GRADUATE  SEMINAR  AND  RESEARCH  FOR- 
THESIS.  Credit,  .  5  to  10  hours 


A  UNIVERSITY  COURSE  IN  JOURNALISM        69 

OTHER  COURSES 

LINOTYPE  OPERATION.    Six  weeks'  course.. 
No  credit 

COURSES  IN  THE  SUMMER  SESSION.     Jour- 
nalism 1,  51,  53.    Credit 7  hours 

COURSES  BY  CORRESPONDENCE.  Journalism  1, 
2,  51,  52,  55,  56,  67,  68. 

IN  GENERAL 

Number  of  professional  courses  in  the  department, 
14. 

Number  of  hours  for  undergraduate  credit,  44. 

Number  of  hours  accepted  for  both  undergraduate 
and  graduate  credit,  32. 

Total  number  of  hours  in  the  department,  54. 

Requirements  for  entrance  to  classes  in  journal- 
ism, 30  hours  of  college  credits  except  in  case  of  un- 
classed  or  special  students  with  newspaper  experience. 

Requirements  for  a  major  in  journalism,  20  to  40 
hours,  of  which  at  least  12  hours  must  be  in  courses 
not  open  to  sophomores. 

Degree  of  A.B.  is  given  to  those  who  complete  120 
hours  of  work  in  the  college. 

No  special  degree  in  journalism ;  but  a  certificate  of 
work  satisfactorily  completed. 

The  student  is  advised  as  to  his  work  in  other 
departments  than  journalism — history,  economics, 
sociology,  political  science,  English,  science,  language, 
etc. — but  no  specific  requirements  are  made. 


70        NEWSPAPER  WRITING  IN  HIGH  SCHOOLS 

The  student's  ambitions  and  apparent  capabilities 
are,  of  course,  considered  in  planning  his  work.  The 
only  courses  always  prescribed  are  Newspaper  1  and  2. 

The  order  of  courses  in  the  junior  and  senior  years 
is  not  invariable,  but  the  distribution  given  above  is 
typical. 

The  courses  in  printing  are  recommended  to  a 
student  intending  to  enter  the  country  newspaper 
field  or  the  advertising  field. 


Journalism  in  The  University  of  Kansas 


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ENGLISH 
Journalism  for  High  School*  (Charles  Dillon).. 

Tells  you  how  to  organize  every  department  of  news- 
paper work ;  provides  excellent  models  for  the  school 
paper;  shows  how  to  get  business  to  support  it,  and 
goes  carefully  into  every  item  likely  to  be  needed  in 
this  branch  of  the  work. 

Newspaper  Writing  in  High  Schools  (L.  N.  Flint). - 

In  several  states  Newspaper  Writing  is  being  intro- 
duced as  an  English  optional;  and  in  some  schools  which 
have  no  such  course  there  is  a  tendency  to  modify 
methods  of  teaching  English  composition  to  conform  to 
the  principles  and  technique  of  newswriting.  Prof. 
Flint's  (Department  of  Journalism,  University  of 
Kansas)  chief  object  in  writing  this  book  was  to  en- 
courage the  growing  interest  in  newspaper  writing  in 

Graded  Exercise*  in  Punctuation  and  Use  of 

Capitals  (Elmer  W.  Smith). 

Method  Unique,  Rules  Clear,  Exercises  Cumulative, 
Convenient  Form,  Saves  Time,  Good  Models. 

Graded  Sentences  for  Analysis  (Rossman-Mills). 

1200  sentences  for  analysis  or  diagraming.  Can  be 
used  in  connection  with  any  standard  Grammar. 

English  Grammar  Drill  (Gemmill) 

Preparatory  to  the  study  of  Latin. 
Graded  Dictation  Speller  (Rossman-Mills) 
Book  I  (For  4th  and  5th  Grades)... 
Book  II  (For  6th,  7th  and  8th  Grades) 

New  Orthography  and  Orthoepy  (Frank  V.  Irish) 

Fundamentals  of  the  English  Language.  Over 
166,000  copies  sold. 

American  and  British  Authors  (Frank  V.  Irish). 

An  American  text-book  on  Literature,  giving  our 
own  great  authors  first  place,  without  disparaging  or 
slighting  British  authors. 

One  Term  with  American  Authors  (Frank  V.  Irish) 
Treasured  Thoughts  (Frank  V.  Irish). 

From  the  world's  best  Literature. 
Short  Stories  (by  Harvard  Men)  Maynadier 

The  best  stories  written  by  Prof.  Maynadier's  ad- 
vanced classes  in  English  at  Harvard  University. 


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